NEWS BRIEF David Vitter, Tea Party Racism, HIV Leadership

July 19, 2010

David Vitter Thinks Rachel Maddow Doesn't Look Like A "Woman"
7/17/10
Huffington Post: Greg Sargent captures Louisiana Senator and sex worker enthusiast David Vitter in a moment of what passes for jocularity in the Vitterverse, on Rush Radio 99.5 in New Orleans. At issue: MSNBC host Rachel Maddow's "femininity"
Why Won't Sarah Palin And Tea Party Leaders Condemn Racism In Their Midst?
7/17/10
Alternet: Instead of saying racism is unacceptable in their movement, Palin and Tea Party leaders pretend the NAACP called them all racists. Call it the politics of resentment.
Accelerating Progress In The Response To HIV Is Impossible When Women Are Invisible In Decision-Making
7/19/10
UNIFEM: New report and HIV-positive women’s groups make urgent recommendations for advancing leadership of women living with HIV
Can We Talk?
7/16/10
NY Times: One misplaced verb now and within hours you can have a digital mob chasing after you — and your bosses scrambling for cover. A journalist should lose his or her job for misreporting, for misquoting, for fabricating, for plagiarizing, for systemic bias — but not for a message like this one.
Women's Rights Treaty Going Nowhere Fast In Senate
7/16/10
Women’s eNews: Women's rights activists are trying to push CEDAW, the major U.N. women's rights treaty, out of a Senate committee where it's been stuck for decades and up for a vote on ratification. "Call Senator John Kerry," urges U.S. lawmaker Carolyn Maloney.
Cleveland Moves Fitfully Toward Making Women Safer
7/18/10
Cleveland.com: This is the good news for survivors of sexual assault in Northeast Ohio: For the first time in decades, there is no waiting list at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. The bad news: The CRCC probably will be back to begging for dollars sometime next year, cobbling together one-time grants and contributions to serve a population of survivors whose numbers never diminish.
Hey Conservatives -- Gays Are Better Parents Than You
7/16/10
Alternet: Recent studies show that the absurd, hateful right-wing propaganda about gay families couldn't be more wrong.
Does The World Need Tedwomen?
7/16/10
Salon: The TED conference creates a new venue for the ladies. Why not just add more to the main event?
Ruling On Women May Spur Asylum Claims
7/15/10
NY Times: A United States federal court ruling this week could unleash a wave of political asylum claims from applicants who say being a woman from Central America is reason enough to fear for their lives.
Australian Opposition Leader Attacks Snap Election Call
7/18/10
BBC News: Australia's main opposition leader Tony Abbott, has criticised the nation's new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, after she called a snap general election.
Copying French Ban On Burqa Would Be Un-British, Says Minister
7/18/10
The Guardian: Immigration minister Damian Green says ban on Muslim women covering faces in public would be at odds with 'tolerant society'
Pakistani Couple Face Death By Stoning Threat After Conviction For Adultery
7/18/10
The Guardian: A couple have been sentenced to be stoned to death for alleged adultery by a tribal court in north-west Pakistan, with the woman's life now considered in grave danger.
Female Priests Respond To Vatican
7/18/10
Press-Citizen: The ordination of women was added this week to a list of the most serious crimes against the Roman Catholic Church, putting it on par with pedophilia and sexual abuse of children by priests, according to the document printed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Japan Prada Case Probes High-Fashion Harassment
7/19/10
Women’s eNews: Prada countersued Japanese national Rina Bovrisse on July 12 at Tokyo District Court, accusing her of damaging the Italian high-fashion company's brand name by charging it with sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and abuse of its employees.
Some Gaza Women Smolder Over Hamas' Water-Pipe Ban
Associated Press: There are few pleasures left for Gaza's 1.5 million people, squeezed by both a blockade and Hamas efforts to impose its strict Muslim lifestyle. And women here just lost another one.